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Carl Parker

If news reports concerning the past regular session and the special session are accurate, it could be that our state senate is losing not only its independence, but also its credibility. It seems from outside appearance it is becoming more of a rubber stamp for the desires of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott.

From many years of observation as well as my years in the Senate, I know the Senate was once fiercely independent and jealous of any erosion of senatorial power or political stroke. In recent sessions, it seems this tradition of the Senate has faded away.

Recently the AARP, probably the largest advocacy group for senior citizens, declared Texas as having the worst nursing homes in the United States. There are several reasons, most of which are strictly political. The stubborn refusal of our leadership to accept the billions of dollars offered by the federal government to provide adequate healthcare for our citizens is probably the biggest reason.

I have seldom gone to an athletic contest where the home team was losing when I did not hear comments all around me from those who believe they could have done better than the coach—They should have called a pass instead of a run; they should have punted instead of trying on fourth down, etc. etc. Criticism such as this always carries the implication the critic could have done better had he or she been in the shoes of the person being criticized. Being a Monday-morning quarterback is not only large in athletic endeavors, it is also extremely large in politics and government.

On a recent visit to watch my granddaughter graduate from high school, I had occasion to spend a few days in Michigan. In some ways, I discovered Michigan resembles Texas as far as state governance is concerned. Both houses of the legislature are Republican, as is each state’s governor.

A recent edition of the New York Times revealed the results of an investigation. It showed that lobbyists in Washington are spending more than $3 billion per year lobbying Congress. A recent analysis conducted by former Agriculture Ctommissioner Jim Hightower identified amounts of money spent on lobbying in campaign contributions by category. His report was broken down by financial institutions, pro sports, radio, television and publishing companies.

In looking over recently introduced measures in the current session of the State Legislature, I discovered H.B. 1819. The bill was offered by Bryan’s state representative, Kyle Kacal. The bill provides a cause of action if a homeowner harms or kills a goat. Although that seems appropriate for the representative from the area of Texas A&M, I am given to wonder why the Legislature appears to have more concern for animals than it does many of the people of Texas.

While we harbor no disrespect for the Wall Street Journal who called us “that scrappy little paper from Southeast Texas,” we prefer to think of ourselves as simple seekers of the truth. We’re of the opinion that headlines and sound bites never tell the whole story. Our readers demand all the facts, facets and flavors of every story or event. And, they expect to be informed, educated and stirred to action.